'Israel' closes 88% of war crimes cases without charges: Watchdog

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
3 Aug 2025 08:25
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Despite mass killings, starvation, and deadly airstrikes in Gaza, "Israel" has cleared nearly all cases, leaving over 1,300 Palestinian killings unanswered.

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Palestinians mourn over the body of a man killed by Israeli soldiers while trying to reach trucks carrying humanitarian aid en route to Gaza City, outside the Hamad Al-Qatari Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025 (AP)

Nearly nine out of ten Israeli military investigations into reported war crimes or abuses by its soldiers since the war in Gaza began have either been closed without any charges or remain unresolved, according to a war monitoring group.

Among the unresolved cases are the February 2024 massacre in Gaza City, where at least 112 starved Palestinians were killed while waiting in line for flour, and a May 2024 airstrike on a tent camp in Rafah that claimed the lives of 45 Palestinians, according to Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).

Also outstanding is an inquiry into the killing of 31 starved Palestinians who were shot dead as they approached a food distribution point in Rafah on 1 June. Witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire. The Israeli army initially dismissed the reports as “false” but later told The Guardian that the incident was “still under review.”

'Israel seeks a pattern of impunity'

Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) researchers Iain Overton and Lucas Tsantzouris said the figures suggest Israeli authorities are cultivating a systematic lack of accountability.

“The statistics suggest Israel is seeking to create a pattern of impunity,” they stated, pointing to a trend of either unresolved cases or decisions clearing soldiers of wrongdoing in “the most severe or public accusations.”

The Israeli army alleged that it investigates any incident during military operations that raises suspicions of legal violations, in line with both "Israeli and international obligations."

“The IDF conducts examination and investigation processes regarding exceptional incidents that occurred during operational activity, in which there is a suspicion of a violation of the law,” the military claimed.

Its review structure includes the military advocate general’s police department, which handles criminal investigations, and a Fact-Finding Assessment (FFA) unit under the general staff for preliminary inquiries.

Cases stagnating amid rising civilian toll

Though some cases may eventually result in prosecutions, AOAV said the process has become less transparent and increasingly sluggish as civilian casualties have risen.

The group tracked 52 incidents reported in English-language media where the Israeli military acknowledged conducting, or said it would conduct, an investigation following accusations of civilian harm in Gaza or the occupied West Bank between October 2023 and June 2025. These episodes involved the killing of 1,303 Palestinians and 1,880 injuries.

Few punishments issued

Only one investigation led to a conviction. In February 2025, an IOF reservist was sentenced to seven months in prison after being convicted by a military court for the aggravated abuse of Palestinian detainees at the notorious Sde Teiman concentration camp. He had beaten, bound, and blindfolded prisoners with his fists, baton, and rifle.

In another case, following the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in an April 2024 airstrike, an Israeli army colonel and a major were dismissed and three other commanders were reprimanded.

The military called the strike a “grave mistake” caused by “a serious failure due to a mistaken identification.” The charity, however, said the inquiry lacked credibility due to its rapid conclusion.

Majority of investigations yield no accountability

Out of the 52 reported incidents, AOAV found seven were closed with no finding of wrongdoing, and 39 remain unresolved, including several recent strikes near food aid centers in Gaza.

“Any report … complaint or allegation that suggests misconduct by IDF forces undergoes an initial examination process, irrespective of its source,” the Israeli army alleged.

Human rights groups such as Yesh Din have voiced skepticism about the effectiveness of the FFA. Out of 664 past inquiries into the Israeli army's military offensive in Gaza between 2014 and 2021, only one resulted in a prosecution, the organization said.

In August 2024, the Israeli army stated that the FFA had gathered data on hundreds of incidents related to the current war, while the military advocate general’s office had opened 74 criminal investigations.

These include 52 cases of dehumanizing violence in detention centers, 13 concerning theft of Palestinians, three tied to the destruction of civilian property, and six regarding suspected unlawful use of force. A smaller number relates to suspected war crimes in combat operations.